Ethics for Psychotherapists and Counselors

Sharon K. Anderson received her Ph.D. in counseling psychology from the University of Denver. She is a licensed psychologist and has taught in the master’s-level counseling program at Colorado State University since 1994. Mitchell M. Handelsman received his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Kansas. He has taught psychology at the University of Colorado Denver since 1982. He is a licensed psychologist and a Fellow of the American Psychological Association.

"So how can ethics educators overcome this defensive and rule-oriented culture? Sharon Anderson and Mitchell Handelsman offer an excellent solution for students in undergraduate or beginning master's level graduate programs...Perhaps the most striking thing about this book is the way that Anderson and Handelsman manage to make the process of ethical acculturation, even the very process of learning to understand and internalize mental health ethics, fun.... The authors clearly understand the need to foster an active learning process that includes self-awareness, self-reflection, discovery, and application. Thus, this book goes far beyond the provision of didactic material-something all too rare in ethics texts. It is clear that Anderson and Handelsman are accomplished teachers in that their writing style is lighthearted, good-humored, engaging, and, most important, deeply empathic." (American Journal of Psychology, 1 March 2011)"This is an excellent text, appropriate for graduate students, young psychologists, and even those of us who are 'seasoned veterans' in the practice of psychology. I highly recommend the text and congratulate the authors for writing this excellent book." (Independent Practitioner, Fall 2010)"It is useful in stressing those aspects of immersion into the ethics affective side of one's professional development that is not always present in more didactic texts." (PsycCRITIQUES, May 2010)

• Preface IntroductionPart I: Taking Stock.1. Basics of Awareness: Knowing Yourself2. Basics of Awareness: Privilege and Social Responsibility3. The Process of Acculturation: Developing Your Professional Ethical IdentityPart II: The Nuts and Bolts of Psychotherapy Ethics.4. The Ethical Culture of Psychotherapy5. “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Therapy!”: Boundaries of the Psychotherapy Relationship6. Confidentiality: A Critical Element of Trust in the Relationship7. Informed Consent: The Three-Legged Stool8. Making the Most of Supervision9. Ending Psychotherapy: The Good, the Bad, and the EthicalPart III: The Ethical Ceiling.10. Putting It All Together: Toward Ethical ExcellenceAppendix A: Possible Information to Be Shared with ClientsAppendix B: Policy AreasReferencesIndex